A Mother's Love
by brittaden
Summary: Set in Present Day. The long-awaited wedding day arrives and she's missing the person that is meant to walk her down the aisle.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls**

 **This was inspired by the rumor that there's going to be a wedding in the revival. Many speculate it's for Luke and Lorelai. And dealing with Richard's death when the wedding day comes, this is my ideal wish. This was literally written in like an hour, so keep that in mind please.**

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This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to come in after everyone else vacated the room and tell her how beautiful she looked in her dress and talk about how no matter how old she was, that she would always be his little girl in his eyes. He was supposed hold onto her and escort her down the aisle and into a new phase of her life. To give her away and into the arms of the man she had chosen to spend the rest of her life with. To tell her that he approved of her choices and that the man she had chosen was a good man and could take care of her in the way that a husband should take care of his wife. And later, they were supposed to share a dance together to a song that she would have picked, something that she would have carefully considered combining his and her music tastes for.

But he wasn't here. And all their 'supposed tos' would never occur.

She had been strong throughout the planning and relatively calm, never turning into a full Bridezilla even though the wedding planning didn't come together as smoothly as the time before and actually took months of hard work and meticulous planning. But she pulled through it all because of her family and friends that wanted to participate and throw around all their ideas. Everyone seemed to talk around the tradition that wouldn't be but it was always in the back of her mind, never failing to remind her of something else that wouldn't happen for her.

There was no talking around the issue anymore. She was set to walk down the aisle later today and her father wouldn't be the one by her side. Her daughter would though. The offer had come the night before, that wasn't really so much an offer but more of an outright declaration of what was going to happen the following day. Of course, she had accepted because it helped soothe the pain that her father wouldn't be able to be there in person and see his only child off and wedded to the man she was meant to be with. But there was still an ache.

"Lorelai?"

Lorelai sniffled and turned around when she heard her name called. She saw her mother watching her with a worried expression. "I'm fine," she promised as a watery smile crossed her face. "Just thinking about Dad."

Emily nodded her head solemnly. "I know." And she knew all too well. "I know Lorelai. He would have loved to be here today, he was so proud of you and everything you've accomplished. I am too."

She blinked as tears brimmed in her eyes. "Thanks Mom."

Emily yanked a tissue from the box on the vanity. "None of that now, you'll ruin your makeup. I can't call her back in here to fix it, she already left."

And that moment was so fitting that she laughed as she accepted the tissue and carefully dabbed at her eyes. "I managed to do my makeup all these years, I think I could have managed today."

"Nonsense, today's your day. You need to relax and enjoy it."

Lorelai gave a nod of her head as she turned back to the mirror and touched up her makeup where the tears had spilled. Her focus was shifted as a royal blue bow-tie dropped down onto the table. She curled her fingers around it and lifted to her face before looking up to find the bow-tie dropping culprit.

"It's your something blue," Rory explained when she met her mother's eyes. "Grandma let me raid the closet, this was the closest one that matched the wedding colors. I thought we could fix it around your bouquet. So that Grandpa was represented."

"Rory," Lorelai breathed, her voice cracking as she struggled through her daughter's name.

"No need to say anything Mom," Rory replied. "It was either this or asking Grandma to wear a bow-tie with her outfit."

Again, it was so fitting a moment that she had to laugh though she felt like crying. "I would have paid good money to see that."

"This was more tasteful," Emily chimed in much to the amusement of the others. "It wouldn't match my outfit."

Lorelai wrapped her arms around her daughter, squeezing her tighter than the bodice of her dress was currently squeezing her. "It's perfect honey."

"I'm full of great ideas."

April stepped forward then, holding out her hands towards Lorelai. "Here, I'll fix it around your bouquet. You two can continue this bone-crushing hug."

Lorelai smiled at the young girl she had watched transform into an intelligent and beautiful young woman. "Thank you sweetie," she said as she passed off the bow-tie.

As her mother let her go, Rory took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "There's something else."

"Oh Rory, don't tell me that you're going to ditch your very carefully, handmade by moi," she said with a dramatic gesture to herself. "For one of my father's suit. My father was a big man and your petite body would be swimming in a sea of fabric."

"No, it's not that," Rory replied. She decided to say it quick, like ripping off a bandage. "I can't walk you down the aisle."

"Rory," Lorelai exclaimed, taken aback by her daughter's words. "You told me you would last night. I was there and you were there and you were there," she pointed at April and Emily accordingly. "I don't want to do it by myself, I thought you were going to be by my side."

"I was and my offer was genuine because I would love to walk you down the aisle to Luke, it's almost perfect," Rory assured her panicking mother. "But it's not my duty."

"But he's not here," Lorelai added solemnly.

"I know Mom, but someone else is," Rory replied. She peeked over her mother's shoulder to where her grandmother stood. "Someone that would love to walk you down the aisle. That, in my opinion, should be the one to escort you down the aisle today."

Lorelai followed her daughter's line of vision, "Mom?"

She watched as her mother slowly approached her, apprehension etched across her face for what could happen in the next few moments. Her father's death had been hard for everyone but no one felt the loss as much as her mother. And she had been there for her through everything. Through her mother pushing her feelings to the side and diving straight into the funeral arrangements to give Richard a funeral worthy of Gilmore. Through the heartbreaking moment she uttered the words that she was supposed to go first because he promised her that she could and the moments just mere seconds later that resulted in her holding her mother as she sobbed in her father's office. And through the months after that bonded them together closer than ever before.

"It would be an honor to walk you down the aisle Lorelai," Emily uttered so softly that Lorelai wasn't even sure if she had spoke at all.

And suddenly she felt like crying again.

"You're going to ruin your makeup," Emily reminded her. She accepted a tissue that Rory held out and dabbed at her daughter's wet eyes before allowing her to do it for herself. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to walk you down the aisle?"

Lorelai sniffled, nodding her head as she spoke. "Yeah."

Suddenly the door to the room opened and in walked Sookie in a color-coordinated dress that matched the bridesmaids in the room. She swooped up her smaller bouquet of flowers beside the door and declared that it was time and joked that they needed to get out there before people thought the wedding was called off.

The room became of flurry of activity as bouquets were picked up and then 'fluffed' by Emily Gilmore herself and Lorelai checked herself out in the mirror once again to make sure that her makeup wasn't ruined from the many shed and unshed tears that frequented that last few minutes. Hugs and cheek kisses were exchanged as Lorelai was handed her bow-tie decorated bouquet of flowers before they were lined up to leave the room.

"What's going on popcorn?" Sookie asked of Rory as the girl was obviously not going to walk her mother down the aisle.

"Today that's the job for a mother," Rory explained softly and she would have sworn that Sookie's face melted into a mushy pile of goo at the very idea. She laughed and furthered explained that no tears were to be shed at this moment and she could wait until the actual ceremony to cry any tears that needed to be let out.

There was a moment of silence of everyone else left the room.

"We should go now," Emily spoke up.

"Then let's get this show on the road," Lorelai replied cheerfully.

She exited the room ahead of her mother and navigated her way through the lobby of The Dragonfly. They made their way around to the back of the inn where the ceremony had been set up. Her heart skipped at the swell of the music and the glimpse of the tuxedo clad man that was waiting for her at the end of the aisle. Her attention was drawn back to the moment when she felt her mother slip her arm around hers and hold it close to her side.

"Are you ready?"

A brilliant smile crossed her face, her fingers caressed the silky fabric of the bow-tie that wrapped around the stems of her flowers. A small laugh escaped her lips and she could feel her father's presence. "More than ready Mom.

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 **I hope you enjoyed! The Lorelai/Emily relationship is one of my favorites.**


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